Our Winter Wonderland

This is our first Christmas as the Smith family! I am so excited to spend the holidays with my new husband! Together we bought a new Christmas tree and fluffed it. Then I added ornaments and decorated our apartment while he hung lights outside on our balcony. I am so blessed that he enjoys decorating for Christmas! I know he will make an amazing father and I cannot wait to decorate for the holidays with our children one day!

We went with a winter wonderland theme! We have lots of snowflakes and silver, baby blue, and white ornaments! These pictures give you a little taste of what our home looks like this holiday season! Merry Christmas!

Our adorable stockings, tree skirt, and pillow were made by Kristy Hamilton at The SewCute. You can check out their online store at www.thesewcutestore.com

Aggie Football

Greg's grandparents have 8 season tickets to Texas A&M football games. We love spending time with Granny and Granddad and we are so lucky that they invite us to the games! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the 2009 season!

Lamb's Rest Inn

Last year Greg and I began a tradition of visiting a Bed & Breakfast in historic Gruene, Texas during the fall. We go to New Braunfels every summer with my family for Schlitterbahn and to float the river, but the river is so beautiful when the leaves change colors. Its nice to relax near the river and enjoy time with each other.

This year we arrived early Friday evening and relaxed in our room for a little while. Last year Greg surprised me with keepsake wine glasses and a bottle of champagne upon our arrival. So this year we packed our wine glasses and a bottle of champagne that I had won on our honeymoon. We toasted to our marriage! And if you did not know, we LOVE being married to each other!

Later that evening we went to eat at the Gristmill River Restaurant. The Gristmill is an old cotton gin that overlooks the Guadalupe River. We love their chicken fried steak! After dinner we went to Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas, for a Robert Earl Keen concert. I have to admit I didn't know many of his songs, but I enjoyed watching Greg sing along!

Saturday we had a relaxing couple's massage! Our massages felt so wonderful! That afternoon we went into Gruene for some shopping and to walk along the beautiful river! And then we watched the Aggie football game at a local bar. Sunday we relaxed until check out time, went to see Canyon Lake, and then went to the outlet mall in San Marcos.

It was an amazing weekend! I am already looking forward to next year! I love taking trips with my sweet husband! When we are old and still head over heels in love, we will have so many wonderful memories! I love you Greg!

Pumpkin Carving

Greg and I carved Aggie pumkins for Halloween! Is there any other way to do it?! They turned out so cute and we had a blast spending the evening together! Even Sammie and Sadie liked the pumpkins.

Brandy & Casey Turner

My best friend Brandy got married this past weekend! Her new husband, Casey, joined the Air Force this spring and they decided to get married on the same day as his Basic Training Graduation. They married on September 18, 2009 at 4:30 in the afternoon. Their wedding was at Marriage Island on the San Antonio River Walk. This was my first wedding to shoot, but I had a lot of fun and I cannot wait until my second wedding! Congratulations to Brandy and Casey! I love you both!

Labor Day Weekend

Greg and I had a busy but awesome Labor Day weekend! We had so much fun with our friends and family!

On Saturday we "tailgated" at the pool with Tiffany, BR, and Ashley! Then we went to the A&M football game with Granny and Granddad. We beat New Mexico 41 - 6!!! What a start to our season! After the game we celebrated our win (and OU's loss!) at Tiffany's and then Hurricane Harry's. I hope we never grow too old to dance!

Ziegfest was on Sunday out at Lake Bryan! You can see all of our friends that were there in the pictures below. Can you say hot hot hot? Gates opened at 12:30, but we didn't show up until around 2:30. Thank goodness because we didn't leave until after 11 that night! I think I drank over ten bottles of water that day. And if you were wondering, my favorite artists of the day were Kevin Fowler, The Eli Young Band, and Clint Black! Amazing!

Then on Monday we celebrated Labor Day at Minute Maid Park and watched the Astros beat the Phillies! My dad won four Club Level tickets in a drawing at his work and gave them to Greg and I, so we asked our friends Leslie and Joe to come along. The four of us enjoyed the game and the waiters who brought us our food and drinks! Go 'Stros!

I can't tell you enough how much I enjoy weekends like this! As much as I miss our kittens, our bed, and our home; I love making memories with the people I love! And I'm so glad I get to share all of this with Greg, my husband!!!

Tateym Kayte

One of my best friends and her husband had a beautiful baby girl on August 20, 2009! Tateym Kayte weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. She is so precious and I am so happy for their new family! Congratulations Kristy and Justin! I love you guys!

Also, don't Greg and I look wonderful with a baby in the picture?!

My Classroom

As many of you know, I am the health teacher at Youens Elementary School in Alief ISD. I teach kindergarten through 5th grade. I love every single one of my students...all 1,000+! They come from rough backgrounds and truly need to be taught how to take care of themselves so they can live healthy and happy lives. Although teaching skills they need to care for themselves is important, my biggest job is to love them, make them feel safe, and let them know they can be something great!

Since I am a bright and bubbly person, it would only be fitting that my classroom match my personality! There are no desks because we do 15 minutes of exercise every time students come to health (class is 50 minutes long). Plus, we play lots of review games! If you look closely you can see supply totes and clipboards that my students work with when we do individual work. Below are pictures of my classroom!

No Nests Here!

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

Do you ever have thoughts that won't leave you alone? Something upsets you and instead of putting the thought aside, it haunts you.

I am an emotional person and in many cases this happens to me. I become so upset over something I should overlook. I say things that I will eventually regret. Then I get mad at myself for getting worked up in the first place. I heard something this weekend that really helped me put things into perspective.

"You can't keep the birds from flying over, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair."

I can't keep myself from having negative thoughts, but I can keep myself from dwelling on them. If I trust in God, then there is no need to let my heart be troubled. So the next time something bothers me, I'm going to think of this quote and let the birds fly right on by!

Trae asked & Ann said YES!

My cousin Trae proposed to his girlfriend of five years, Ann Marie! I could not be happier for them! Trae has always been like a brother to me and Ann has become one of my closest friends!

Right now they are in Florida at Disney World with Trae's mom, sister, and brother and Ann's mom! Trae got down on one knee by the wishing well in front of the Cinderella Castle to pop the question. And of course Ann said YES!

Congratulations to the soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs. Trae Williams!!!

Our Honeymoon

For our honeymoon Greg and I flew to the Riviera Maya and stayed at an all inclusive resort, El Dorado Royale, for 8 days and 7 nights. I loved getting away to paradise with my new husband! Every day was full of sun, relaxation, entertainment, and incredible gourmet food. We left the resort once to travel into Playa del Carmen to go shopping. I have to mention how much fun we had with our newlywed friends from New York and Alabama. We cannot wait to go back next year to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!!!

My 23rd Birthday

I had an amazing birthday this year! My birthday was on Friday, July 17th, but because I have an amazing husband and awesome friends and family I got to celebrate three times! On Thursday Greg took me to The Cheesecake Factory, so we could have a romantic dinner as husband and wife. As always, the food was amazing and we were so full that we had to order our cheesecakes to go!

Greg had to work on Friday, but when I woke up he had a present and card waiting for me! Isn't my husband the sweetest? He gave me the "Together" Willow Tree figurine. But wait, it gets better! He also suprised me and invited my closest friends and family to have dinner at my favorite Italian restraunt. That evening we all went to eat at Cafe Capri in downtown Bryan. This is when Greg chose to give me my second present! He gave me a set of Brighton Jewlery and it was so cute I had to put it on right away! I enjoyed being able to celebrate and talk with my friends. After dinner, we went dancing at Hurricane Harry's!

On Saturday, all of our extended family and a few friends joined us at Ninfa's for lunch! Two of my favorite presents were butterfly earrings my Dad brought me from Cancun and a pair of Brighton sunglasses from my Mom!

What a birthday huh? Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with me!

Outlaws T-ball

My 5 year old cousin, Seth, plays t-ball for The Outlaws! His dad, Brian, is the head coach and asked Greg to help coach during a tournament. We had three games on Saturday at 10am, 2pm, and 6pm. There was a heat index of 111 degrees and it was so hot! We had to make sure the team stayed hydrated and none of the boys got sick. The team did a great job playing in the heat! They won their second game and their third game was so close! The boys are adorable to watch and the fans really get into the game. Greg loved coaching the boys and looked so handsome in his baseball uniform. I loved cheering on the team and spending time with my family. Plus, I made cookies the night before and got to practice being a baseball mom! We are so proud of you Seth! Love you little man!

The Renegades vs. Hot n Ready

Greg #10

My husband is a member of the men's softball team, The Renegades! Greg, Jeremy (his brother), and several of their friends play in the College Station Slowpitch Softball League. Last night they beat Hot n Ready with a score of 10-8!

Greg as the 1st base coach

Greg has played baseball since he was about 5 years old. He plays 2nd base, but last night they needed someone to fill in for an absent center fielder. He caught several fly balls and got a few RBIs! A few of his must haves are his favorite black socks (complete with a few holes) and sunflower seeds. Plus, every time he is up to bat, he draws a cross in the dirt on home plate.

A single with a RBI!

I, on the other hand, have loved athletic boys since I was 5 years old. You can always find me sitting in the dugout with other Renegade wives, fiances, or girlfriends! We have so much fun watching our guys play! I know they really enjoy it when we cheer them on! Actually, I am not sure if they even hear us, but we know its the thought that counts. Plus, we usually yell more at the umpires (or the other team) than we do for our own men! And we know they hear us because we usually get several looks sent our way. We like to have fun and luckily we have a team that can back us up with wins!

Myself and Ashley in the dugout

Greg & I (plus Chad in the background)

Ashley and Jeremy

Our Reception

Many, many, many pictures followed the wedding ceremony, but all those pictures were nothing compared to the party that followed! We danced the night away with our best friends and closest family! It was the time of my life! I hope you all enjoyed the evening as much as we did! The dances, smiles, and laughter will be with us forever! I cannot express how much fun we had with you all! I hope these pictures project how truly amazing the evening was! We love you all!

Our Wedding

A year of planning went into making our wedding the fairytale I had always dreamed it would be. Without a doubt it was an amazing and beautiful day. Mom, Dad, Granny, and Granddad - Thank you for making our dreams come true! Thank you to the friends and family who were in attendance and made our day so very special!

To my new husband - Thank you for loving me! When I stepped out of that pink cadillac and saw you waiting for me I was weak in the knees. Thank goodness I had my Daddy to hold on to. I honestly did not know who was in attendance at our wedding until after the ceremony because my sight was set on you! You looked so handsome standing there with silent tears rolling down your face. My heart was beating faster with every step I took leading me closer to the man of my dreams! I meant every word I spoke during our vows and I will love you for forever! Never forget what your baseball wedding band signifies! I am so glad I am Mrs. Gregory Smith! I love you the mostest!

The Bride's Wedding Day

I spent my final night as Greg's fiance with my mom and dad in their room at The Hampton. I woke up to a text message from my handsome groom! I slowly gathered my things and got ready as my mom and I talked. When she helped me carry my things to my car and we hugged bye I cried for the first time of many that day. The rest of my afternoon was spent at Kristy's house with my bridesmaids and friends. We all had our hair fixed by stylists from Talk of the Town and we ordered Jason's Deli. I loved the time I was able to spend with my closest friends on such a special day in my life! I love you girls so much!

Something Old: A small piece of my mom's wedding dress sewed to the tulle on my dress
Something New: My wedding dress
Something Borrowed: A pearl bracelet from my cousin Taylor
Something Blue: The thread my mom used to sew on the piece of her wedding dress

Below are pictures of myself, our wedding party, and our family once I arrived at Astin Mansion.

The Groom's Wedding Day

Greg spent his final night as my fiance at Granny and Granddad's house. When he woke up he sent his bride (me) the sweetest text message! Later that morning, he and Brady picked up things for a hamburger cookout. Then he spent the afternoon hanging out and swimming with his cousins and groomsmen.

Before he headed up to the Astin Mansion he decorated our jacuzzi suite at The Hampton. Rose petals were sprinkled leading to the bed and in the jacuzzi. A card addressed to Mrs. Smith was in the middle of rose petals on the bed! I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband! It was a perfect end to a perfect day!

Below are pictures of Greg, our wedding party, and our family once he arrived at Astin Mansion.

Bridal Portraits

My bridal portraits were also taken by Darlene Trant with ReMemories. They were taken at Astin Mansion in downtown Bryan. This 1920's mansion was a beautiful background for my bridal portraits and our wedding.